Pacific Notebook: Runners in fast lane for success in WCC

STOCKTON - Josh Jones is about to begin his fourth season as the Pacific women's cross country coach, and the program's has progressed immensely on and off the track.

Jagdip Dhillon

STOCKTON - Josh Jones is about to begin his fourth season as the Pacific women's cross country coach, and the program's has progressed immensely on and off the track.

Jones touts the team collectively being 20 minutes faster than when he arrived in 2009 and breaking all school records in 5k and 6k events. Jones also said adding the 800- and 1,600-meter runners to fulfill West Coast Conference requirements has been a recruiting boon.

Jones will welcome three new runners in 2013 when the Tigers begin their season Aug. 31 at the USF Invite. Megan Hall of Rocklin and Myra Ladkawala of KarAchi, Pakistan, are the two freshmen, and Canadian Sarah Bailey transfers in as a junior from Jacksonville University.

"It's hard to get a good runner if you don't have one, because they all want someone to train with, but now we have five good runners returning from last year and that makes it easier," Jones said. "I'm just trying to build a program people want to be a part of here, because when I got here we were at the bottom."

Lindsay Worms, Becky Grabow, Mia Knipper, Lauren Nakaso and sophomore Rebecca Tuttle are key returnees for Jones. The Tigers will spend the next four days in Lake Tahoe training for high-altitude events later in the season.

While coach Greg Gibbons and his players are talking about making the NCAA Tournament next season, the opposing coaches in the West Coast Conference don't have as rosy an outlook for Pacific's 2013 women's volleyball season.

A preseason poll released Wednesday has the Tigers predicted to finish in seventh place behind BYU, San Diego, Saint Mary's, Pepperdine, LMU and Santa Clara, all programs that made the postseason in 2012. USF, Gonzaga and Portland were tabbed to finish behind the Tigers.

Pacific begins its season against St. Francis (Pa.) on Aug. 30 at the Virginia Tech Invitational.

The Tigers will be hosting an open practice at 3 p.m. today at Spanos Center and will meet and greet the fans in attendance at 5:30 p.m.

Coach Ryan Redondo's program will begin its season on Sept. 28 at the Napa Valley Tournament after a summer that saw its players have success in individual tournaments.

Big West Conference freshman of the year Sam Verbeek won three tournaments, including the Kattenlaan Open in the Netherlands. Ben Mirkin finished up play on the ITA Summer Circuit Championships by winning the consolation draw, and Alex Hamilton and Denis Stolyarov will participate in the Modesto Open Championships beginning today.